Buffalo Sabres Favored to Extend Winning Streak Against Struggling Montreal Canadiens

The Buffalo Sabres are poised to continue their winning streak as they host the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center on Monday, November 11, 2024, with a 12:30 PM ET puck drop. According to various predictive models and betting analyses, the Sabres are favored to win this NHL matchup.

The Sabres, currently on a three-game winning streak, have been performing well, particularly in their last game where they secured a 3-2 victory in a shootout against the Calgary Flames. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen played a crucial role, saving 24 of 26 shots faced[3][4].

In contrast, the Montreal Canadiens are struggling, having lost six consecutive games. Their most recent loss was a 4-1 defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Brendan Gallagher scored the only goal for the Canadiens. The team’s offense has been underperforming, averaging only 2.60 goals per game, while their defense has been porous, allowing 4.07 goals per game[4][5].

Betting odds and predictions strongly favor the Sabres. Dimers‘ NHL model, which has simulated the game 10,000 times, gives the Sabres a 62% chance of winning, compared to the Canadiens’ 38%[2]. The Sabres are also favored on the 3-Way Moneyline with odds of 1.83, indicating a high likelihood of them winning in regulation time.

Player props suggest that Buffalo’s Tage Thompson has a significant chance of scoring the first goal, with an 8.5% probability, and a 40.3% chance of scoring anytime during the game[2]. Additionally, the over/under for the game is set at 6.5 goals, with many analysts predicting a high-scoring game given the defensive vulnerabilities of both teams[2][5].

The new-look top line for the Canadiens, featuring Juraj Slafkovsky alongside Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach, is expected to show some improvement, but it may not be enough to overcome the Sabres’ current form and home advantage.